Layered Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats
What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with an adorable rainbow snack! With the help of a little bit of food coloring, you can prepare a batch of layered Rainbow Rice Krispie treats for your kids. And since these fun snacks are made with a no-bake recipe, there's no need to turn your oven on to prepare them!
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What Do I Need to Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats?
Rice crispy treats are the perfect no-bake snack to make for St. Patrick's Day. And the best part about this layered rainbow recipe is that you can prepare it in the microwave! To make your own colorful cereal treats, you just need four ingredients, including:
- Mini marshmallows
- Butter
- Rice Krispies cereal
- Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple food coloring
Looking for more delicious recipes for St. Patrick's Day? Give these reader favorites a try.
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How Do I Make Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats?
Since these colorful treats are so quick and easy to make, you can whip them up with just a few minutes of prep work. Just follow these simple steps to make your own layered rice krispies treats for St. Patrick's Day:
Step One: Melt the Marshmallows and Butter
Combine one tablespoon of butter with 1 ½ cups of mini marshmallows in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat the two ingredients in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Immediately remove the bowl from the microwave and stir until the marshmallows and butter are fully mixed.
Step Two: Mix in the Cereal and Food Coloring
Add three to four drops of red food coloring to the bowl and stir until it's well mixed. Then, stir in 1 ½ cups Rice Krispies, making sure the cereal is fully coated in the red marshmallow mixture.
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Step Three: Press the Layer into the Pan
Spray an 8x8 pan with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the bars. Then, press the red cereal mixture into the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
Step Four: Repeat for the Remaining Colors
After the red cereal layer is pressed into the pan, rinse out the bowl to remove any leftover red food coloring residue. Then, repeat the same process for the orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple layers. After mixing each color layer, press the cereal mixture on top of the layer before it in the pan.
Step Five: Cut into Bars
When all the rainbow color layers have been added to the pan, allow the mixture to sit at room temperature to cool for around one hour. After that, cut the treats into bars and enjoy!
Rainbow Rice Krispies Treats Tips and Tricks
These simple rainbow cereal bars may look complicated, but they couldn't be easier to make! And with the help of these recipe tips and tricks, you'll have all the knowledge you need to prepare an amazing treat for your kids this St. Patrick's Day!
- Grease your hands or wear gloves. Pressing these colorful treats into the pan can get messy if you aren't careful. To keep the color from bleeding onto your fingers and to keep the marshmallows from sticking to your hands, it's a good idea to use protection. A thin coating of nonstick cooking spray on your hands is one simple way to keep them safe. Or wear a pair of plastic food prep gloves as you're working.
- Don't press the bars too hard! Each layer of your rainbow treats needs to be fairly thin, so it may be tempting to press the bars down until the cereal mixture is completely solid. Try to avoid pressing the cereal too much or the treats will become hard after the marshmallows set, making them difficult to eat.
- Cut the treats into small bars. Since these layered treats are prepared in a small pan, they end up being very thick. That means you can cut them into small bars and they'll still be fairly large snacks to enjoy.
How Do You Change the Color of Rice Krispie Treats?
Creating colorful treats is a fun way to mix up a cute snack for any holiday. But if you're wondering what the best way to tint your treats is, I suggest food coloring. Simply add a few drops of food coloring to the marshmallow mixture before adding your cereal to instantly change the color of your snacks without any extra effort.
Are Rice Krispie Treats Gluten-Free?
Since marshmallows and butter are naturally gluten-free, it depends on what type of puffed rice cereal you use to make your treats. Kellogg's Rice Krispies are not gluten-free because they're prepared with malted barley. But the good news is that most store-brand rice cereal is made without barley, making them safe to eat if you're gluten-free.
How Do You Store Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats?
The best way to store your rice cereal treats is in an airtight container at room temperature. To keep the treats from sticking together, try placing a piece of wax or parchment paper between each layer of treats in the container. Proper storage will ensure your treats don't get hard and stale. When your cereal treats are stored properly, they'll stay good for up to five days.
Layered Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter divided
- 9 cups mini marshmallows divided
- 9 cups puffed rice cereal divided
- red orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring
Instructions
- Place 1 tablespoon butter and 1 ½ cups marshmallows in a medium, microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 to 45 seconds, then stir to mix.
- Add three to four drops of food coloring to the bowl and stir to mix.
- Fold in the cereal, stirring until all the cereal is completely covered.
- Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper and press the first color into the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
- Wash the bowl to remove any leftover food coloring, then repeat the process with the remaining colors. Layer each new color on top of the layers already in the pan.
- Allow the bars to cool completely, then slice into squares and serve.
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